In this volume of the art and life of Nicholas Roerich, we have a closely examined biography as well as stunning reproductions of many of his most important works. They are representative of his work as an architect, painter, set and costume designer, and there are many family photographs not often seen.

Nicholas Roerich became a prolific artist, writer, philosopher and proponent of world peace. Born in 1874, he was brought up by artistic, middle-class intellectual parents.

When the family moved to St. Petersburg, the household had a constant stream of the elite of art, science, academic and political circles visiting the house. At other times and in other places he would have been termed a ‘renaissance man’.

In his youth he studied the arts and after he married Helena Shaposhnikov, a dedicated theosophist, his activities were geared to mankind’s spiritual evolution. Together they founded the Agni Yoga Society which brought together the religious philosophies from all ages.

Always supremely focused on the interplay of art, science and spirituality, his travels led him further into mankind’s historical development. Eventually this led him to realise mankind’s potential for positive cultural and spiritual evolution.

In the years after the Great War of 1914–1918, the Roerich family embarked on their many journeys East and West, taking in Eastern Europe, America, India, Nepal, Tibet, and regions of China, finally settling in the Kulu Valley, northern India.

The author Dr. Jacqueline Decter is a Russian scholar and has arranged the material in this book chronologically, with the text interspersed with appropriate art works or photographs. The large format has enabled quality reproductions of Roerich’s exquisite art. The resources of the Nicholas Roerich Museum have been at the disposal of the work, and it shows.

The reader is given detailed ancestral origins of Roerich’s family and that of his wife Helena. The narrative is definitely heavy with information, but is also very readable. It is a pleasure to read from so many primary sources, some of which are translated into English for the first time here. It is easy to feel the flavour of the life lived in the society of pre-revolutionary Russia.

I found the text informative and also entertaining. The art reproductions are gorgeous, lending themselves to hours of meditation. The mystical series of Tibet have such simplicity, yet stunning depth. Many are very well known in the West, especially in metaphysical circles.

In all there are over 80 colour reproductions from the various periods of Roerich’s artistic life. There are also more than 30 black and white photographs of family, public events and expeditions.

It is noted by the author that those who have heard of Roerich come from many different areas. Theosophy and the I AM movements have always been proponents of the mystical side of his art. The Agni Yoga Society continues to the present.

Patrons of the arts acknowledge what a huge contribution he made to the nineteenth and early twentieth century culture of Russia both at home and overseas. His art remained far above the turbulent times in Russia and is now seen for its full worth in that country.

Not only was he influential in painting, but also in ballet by set and costume design. His philosophy was influential in the efforts for peace and unity worldwide.

Dr. Decter does not back away from the controversies surrounding Roerich and his activities in the USA in the 1930s.

In America in the late 1930s, so much of his great art was appropriated by one unscrupulous member of the board of his own foundation whom Roerich termed ‘a great gangster.’ There is still debate and acrimony between the two camps – pro and anti-Roerich. The author does not make a judgment apart from noting the debate may not be settled any time soon.

As a man of so many talents and interests, Nicholas Roerich led an active and busy life quite full of journeys. His creativity and vision never ceased. His legacy is found in four continents and comprises over 7,000 paintings, drawings for set and costume designs, thirty books and numerous articles and papers.

This book will appeal to readers with diverse interests. For art lovers, here is chance to have a representative collection in book form of a true creative talent.

For students of philosophy or metaphysics, here is a detailed biography of one of the talents bridging the nineteenth and twentieth centuries.

For mystics, learn how a man can lead a full life while maintaining his faith in the future of mankind as a spiritually evolving being. For those who believe in the Ascended Masters, read of the last life of a now ascended master.

What touched me most is the diversity and intensity of his dazzling art in its many forms. I will be absorbing and meditating on these beautiful images for years to come. Highly recommended.

– Reviewed by Jennifer Hoskins in New Dawn No. 97